OVERVIEW: The OceanFirst Foundation supports funds health and wellness, housing, improving quality of life, youth development and education in central and southern New Jersey.
IP TAKE: The OceanFirst Foundation is a low-key corporate funder that makes modest grants in communities where OceanFirst Bank has a branch of operations. While its grants rarely exceed $10,000, it makes dozens of grants each year to organizations of all sizes in a wide range of focus areas. While the majority of its grantmaking is in the form of general operating support or project specific funding for local and regional nonprofits, it also provides event sponsorships, scholarships for higher education and youth summer camps, and hosts community engagement and fundraising events. While the foundation does make significant grants to national organizations with regional branches, the priority is mainly on spreading smaller grants around to local nonprofits doing direct work with the community.
OceanFirst is not the most transparent funder, as it does not maintain a comprehensive list or database of past grantees on its website. Grantseekers may keep updated with the foundation’s blog and news posts, or peruse its annual tax filings to get a better idea of its impact. It is a relatively accessible funder, as it accepts applications for many of its grant offerings. The foundation has different avenues for applying for event sponsorships, scholarships, and grants over or under $5,000, so make sure to check eligibility and deadlines before applying.
PROFILE: Based in Toms River, New Jersey, the OceanFirst Foundation was established in 1996 with a one-time endowment of $13.4 million to OceanFirst Bank. Its mission is to “empower nonprofits to think bigger, solve more problems, and make life better” in communities in central and southern New Jersey served by branches of OceanFirst bank, including parts of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties. The foundation’s grantmaking serves a wide range of community interests, including event sponsorships, scholarships, summer camps, and community engagement events, as well as general operating support and project specific grants for local, regional, and national nonprofits in the areas of Arts & Culture, Higher Education, Health & Wellness, Quality of Life, Housing, and Youth Development.
Grants for Education and Youth
The OceanFirst Foundation’s grantmaking for Youth Development seeks to “foster conditions for youth of all ages to thrive and reach their full potential.” To that end, it funds projects like scouting, summer camps, youth leadership and mentorship, youth counseling, financial education, out-of-school programs, and other education-related nonprofits. OceanFirst offers two types of General Operating/Flexible Support Grants. Major grants over $5,000 require a letter of interest to be invited to apply, while Good Neighbor Grants of under $5,000 have a one-step application process. Past grantees include the Algonquin Arts Theatre, Barnabas Health Hospice, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County, Center for Family Services, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, New Brunswick Education Foundation, New Jersey Council for Economic Education, and Boy Scouts of America’s Jersey Shore Council.
OceanFirst also offers Scholarships to select New Jersey colleges and universities, including Atlantic Cape Community College, Brookdale Community College, Georgian Court University, Ocean County College, Monmouth University, Rowan College, Stockton University, and TCNJ. Scholarship funds are distributed directly to the universities. While OceanFirst Foundation posts application materials to its website, applications must be submitted to the university of attendance. OceanFirst board and staff do not have any part in the scholarship selection process.
Grants for Public Health and Diseases
The OceanFirst Foundation’s Health & Wellness program area supports nonprofit medical facilities and essential care, as well as projects that “improve access to services, especially for vulnerable populations and the underserved.” This typically extends to grants for access to healthcare for underserved populations. OceanFirst’s Housing grants support affordable housing efforts for disabled individuals, emergency shelters, and youth who have been affected by abuse or domestic violence. The foundation also awards grants for homelessness and self-sufficiency. Finally, Quality of Life grants fund many basic needs services, such as food banks, arts and culture programs, coastal environmental protection, behavioral health, and senior services.
Past grantees include Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation, Parker Family Health Center, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, House of Hope Ocean County, Cathedral Soup Kitchen, Food Bank of South Jersey, Meals on Wheels of Mercer County, Allies in Caring, Starve Poverty, Association for the Multiple Impaired Blind, Atlanticare Foundation, Rescue Mission of Trenton, Camden Lutheran Housing, and Bestwork Industries for the Blind.
Grants for Arts & Culture
The OceanFirst Foundation’s grants for Arts & Culture supports a range of museums, cultural centers, performing arts institutions, public art installations, youth art programs, and art education in New Jersey. It prioritizes projects that “reach diverse audiences and bring vibrant programming and economic development” to its giving area. OceanFirst offers three types of grants in this area:
- Event Sponsorships: Grants of up to $5,000 to fund an individual, special event by an art institution, cultural center, or arts-related nonprofit.
- Good Neighbor Grants: Grants of up to $5,000 for general operating support or flexible funding.
- Major Grants: Grants of over $5,000 for general operating support of flexible funding.
Note that grantseekers may only apply for one of the above grants per cycle. Past grantees include Artwell Collaborative, Count Basie Theater, Barnegat Bay Decoy & Baymen’s Museum, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Ocean County Historical Society, Jazz Arts Project, Atlantic City Arts Foundation, Eagle Theater, Monmouth Museum and Cultural Center, Brick Children’s Community Theater, and Appel Farm Arts and Music Center.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $500 to $15,000. The OceanFirst Foundation does not keep a list or database of past grantees, but grantseekers may review the foundation’s Annual Report or tax filings for more information on the types of organizations it supports.
- The OceanFirst Foundation’s grants serve select communities of New Jersey, including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties. It also makes grants in Philadelphia. Grantseekers from outside a region served by OceanFirst Bank may contact the foundation to review eligibility.
- For General Operating/Flexible Support grants over $5,000, applicants must start by submitting a letter of interest. Select applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. The deadline for letters of interest generally falls on May 1.
- For General Operating/Flexible Support grants under $5,000 there is a single-stage application via the grant request portal. The deadline generally falls on June 1.
- For event sponsorships, applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the grant request portal. Applications must be submitted at least two months in advance of the planned event.
- For scholarships, applicants must apply through the financial aid department of their university. Scholarship decisions are made based on existing university policies with no influence from the OceanFirst Foundation.
Grantseekers can direct general questions to the staff at 732-341-4676 or info@oceanfirstfdn.org.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only.)
LINKS:
